Adventures of Ash Chii: Chapter One: Padawans
by jazcamille
Summary: This is the very beginning to a fanfiction I wrote when I was 12 and am now sharing on the internet for the sake of a podcast! (@grandmofftalkin on twitter)


CHAPTER 1 - PADAWANS

The day began just like any other before it.

Her chrono beside her bed gave her a nice wake-up call, telling her that she was a Jedi and therefore had to wake up early.

Ash hated the chrono for that.

She wanted to sleep, but she had to get to her morning classes. On the other side of her bed the crisp morning light shown through her blinds in her small, cramped room. She tried to pull the covers over her head to shade her eyes, but it was no use. She had to get up.

She reached out with the Force and clicked a button on the chrono, shutting off the alarm clock. She flung the covers off her and sat up on the side of her bed. She tried to clear her mind of the fuzziness that always accompanied her when she woke up in the morning.

For the first time she looked at the chrono. It read 5:48 in the morning, about 5 minutes after the sunrise. She quickly got to work of making herself presentable. She was only 9 years old, but Ash took being a Jedi seriously. She always tried her best, but tried to have fun in the process.

She went into the fresher and took a quick shower. The heat of the water and feel of the steam woke her up from her drowsiness.

Once that was done she walked over to her closet, a little skip in her step now. She always wanted to start the day off right with a good attitude. Ash pushed a button on the wall next to her closet and the door slid open. Jedi usually didn't have very many possessions, but Ash did have a good selection of clothes for all occasions. Today was nothing special, so she just threw on one of her favorite, almost non-jedi like, outfits. It was more like a warriors outfit, thrown together from scrap pieces of material, but Ash loved that style. A black top that stopped half-way down her stomach and loose, baggy shorts with multiple belts to keep them up. Ash never usually liked wearing shoes, but her friends never liked it when she went barefooted. They said her feet stunk worse than a Hutt's butt.

How would they know what a Hutt's butt smelled like? She thought to herself, smiling. But when she didn't wear something on her feet, her friends complained all day, so she usually rapped them up to about halfway between her knees in cloth. She enjoyed the cloth though. It made her feel more…natural.

The final thing to her outfit was her lightsaber, a Jedi's weapon. A Jedi's life. She had three at the moment, more than most Knights had. Ash couldn't help it. She loved everything about the weapon. The hum of the blade, the brightness of the crystal, the swiftness it would cut something in half; it all amazed her and she had studied as much as she could about the weapon, eventually becoming so attuned to every piece inside it that she could probably make one blindfolded. Although she was slower at it. She wasn't the smartest when it came to electronics, but she tried her hardest.

She went over to the cabinet beside her bed and grabbed her latest lightsaber, one with a curved hilt and a bright orange blade. She smiled at it and then ran out of her room, clipping her lightsaber to her belt as she ran.

At this time in the morning there weren't as many people out walking the halls, but there were some. They smiled to Ash as she walked past them, her back straight. She felt good about herself. She was in the top of her classes and even took time out of her day to train herself. She enjoyed what the teachers showed her, but she always thought that she could be doing so much more. She felt like all the other students in her classes were slowing her down. She just wished she'd become a padawan and get it over with.

Ash slowly walked over to the West gardens, taking in the fresh air and breeze in the hallways. The gardens were a great place to run and jump; a great place to create your own obstacle course which Ash did almost every day.

Before she even got to the entrance of the gardens she saw 3 of her friends waiting for her. They knew were to find her every morning, but Ash was just surprised they were all wide-awake. As she got closer she saw that her friend Aero, a young Kiffar boy, was yawning. She should've known better than to think that they were all wide awake. Her other friends probably had to tie him up and drag him out of bed to get him up this early.

"Morning guys, what's up?" Ash asked as she got closer. Nya, a green female Twi'lek about a year or 2 older than Ash, was the first one to speak up.

"You haven't heard?" Nya asked, surprised. "There's another youngling in the Temple that wants to battle you. She's beaten everyone else she's battled and heard that you had the same record. She thinks she can beat you. Broze spent a little time with her yesterday. He think's she's more experienced."

"I said no such thing!" Broze shot back, trying to defend himself. "I said that she would be a good match for you!"

Ash chuckled, but then got back on subject

"Wait a minute; you've got to be kidding me?" Ash said. "There isn't a student I haven't battled. How could I have not battled her before? I go around begging people to fight me!"

"Well, apparently she's been able to stay under the radar," Nya said. "Her name is Echo Chi, and she's the same age as you. Everyone she's battled she's beaten. What makes it even weirder is that she is the same species as you."

"Man, I wish I was a Pantoran," a boy named Broze said. Broze was a Miraluka, a species that had no eyes, or at least they didn't work. He wore a shade over his eyes all the time. But yet he was incredibly strong in the Force. He was one of Nya's friends and became friends with Ash when she met Nya. "Maybe I'd be a better fighter."

"You are a good fighter," Aero said. He was also one of Broze friends. And when Ash met Broze she had become friends with Aero. "Just not as good as Ash, which is pretty pathetic considering she's younger than you, and a girl," Aero said jokingly.

"Oh, shut up," Broze said.

"Quiet boys or I might have to have to tell Master Yoda on you," Nya told them and turned her attention back to Ash.

"So what do ya think Ash? Do ya want to battle this girl? She's already waiting for you in the arena," Nya finished.

"Oh, I'm totally up to the challenge. No one has beaten me yet, and no one will!" Ash exclaimed and hurried away to the battling arena used for just these purposes, although most of the time it was the master conducting the battles. When they all reached the door, they stopped and Nya handed her a blindfold.

"Here, put this on. It makes the battle more interesting for us watching," Nya said with a smile.

Ash put the blindfold on and her friends walked her into the arena. She laid her hand on top of her lightsaber. It comforted her. She loved it a lot. Every time she picked it up she felt like a Jedi Master.

She heard her friends talking to some other people in the room. She suspected it was Echo's friends coming to watch her. Apparently this was going to be an interesting fight. But Ash didn't see why. She was considered one of the best Lightsaber duelists of the padawan and younglings. She didn't see how this girl could beat her.

Her friends quieted now, and Ash sensed it was about time to start the fight. She grabbed her lightsaber, twirled it around and ignited it in a Shien stance. Master Yoda suggested that she use a different stance, but she didn't care. She had beaten everybody else with it and she didn't plan on changing now. She imagined the bright orange color of her lightsaber come to life. Although it was one set on stun, she had learned ways to make it hurt a lot more.

She heard the other snap-hiss of her opponent's lightsaber and let herself go to the Force. She had grown accustomed to it. It made her happier and more relaxed. She could sense in the general area where her opponent was and lunged. Her blade hit another. The fight had begun.

Ash ducked down and felt as the other girl's lightsaber passed over where her head should have been. As she ducked, she turned her body into a spin, trying to trip her opponent, but the girl had already jumped out of the way.

Wow, she is good, Ash thought to herself.

Ash got up on her feet and went into a back-flip, dodging the girl's side-sweep attack. Once Ash landed, she charged. At the last second she jumped in the air, planning to land on top on the girl. But instead, the girl moved out the way, and Ash landed on the ground. She continued her attack with a flurry of attacks, high and low. To her surprise, the girl blocked all of her attacks. She even attacked from the sides, and the girl simply either blocked them or dodged them.. She was fast. VERY fast.

Ash sensed Echo spin her lightsaber around seconds before she actually did it. Ash planted her feet on the ground and tried her best to block the incoming attacks. To her surprise, she actually did and jumped back. Hoping to catch the girl off guard, she quickly charged forward, hoping that maybe the girl was a little dizzy from her spins. The girl blocked it though, and Ash held her lightsaber there. They were in a lightsaber-lock. Ash pushed her lightsaber harder. To her surprise, the girl actually wasn't strong enough to keep her back. The girl started to back down. Ash sensed the girl trying to desperately think of something. Then, out of nowhere, Echo kicked Ash in the stomach. Ash let go of the lightsaber-lock and staggered backwards. Echo had some powerful legs.

Ash recovered quickly and aimed low for the legs. She jumped, but before she got there, Echo jumped in the air and landed in a spin. But Ash noticed something as the girl jumped. She wasn't guarding herself. As soon as the girl landed, Ash spun around and landed her lightsaber slightly on the girls shoulder. She was too far away for her to land a solid attack. She heard, the girl grunt, but it didn't seem to bother her very much. Echo then brought her lightsaber up and pushed Ash's away. Ash backed away and charged again, hoping to wear down Echo's defenses down. But again, the girl blocked all of Ash's attacks. Ash was running out of ideas. Once again, she flipped back and charged, hoping to catch the girl off balance one more time. She sensed the girl coming at her fast too, and when their lightsaber hit, the power surge was so powerful that it knocked her and the girl back..

"Wow," they both said at the same time.

Ash then heard her friends start clapping and cheering.

"That was awesome!" Broze yelled! "Do it again!"

"NO!" Ash and Echo said in unison.

Ash didn't realize it until just now, but she couldn't catch her breath. That battle had really worn her out.

"Ok, you can both take off your blindfolds now," Nya said. "That was amazing!"

Ash took off her blindfold. It was soaked in sweat. She turned to look at Echo who was trying to catch her breath too. When she brought her head up, Ash realized something amazing. Echo looked exactly like her.

They both stared at each other.

"WHAT THE WAMPA-POO?!" they said in unison.

"Hey, stop copying me!" they both said again.

"No, you stop!" again they said..

"I knew IT!" Broze said. "I knew it; I knew it, I KNEW IT! They are twins! Did I not say that?" he asked Aero.

"You did say that," Aero replied.

"Guys, quiet down…there's no way they could be twins," Ash heard Kali, one of Echo's friends said. "They have two different last names. And how could they have possibly not found out about each other until just know?"

"I don't know but it's not really our problem guys, we've…" Nya started to say, and then Kali interrupted her.

"Oh my Yoda guys! Morning class starts in 5 minutes! We need to get going! Come on Juno!" Kali said and grabbed Juno by the arm and started pulling her out of the battle arena.

"Whoa!" Juno yelped and followed. "See you guys at Mid-day meal!"

When Juno and Kali where out of the arena, Aero and Broze started to follow them too. Nya followed them too.

"See ya guys later! Hope you can figure things out!" Nya yelled back as she ran to class.

Ash looked back to Echo.. She had spent enough time in the mirror to tell that this girl looked exactly like her. Even her friends saw it. But she still wondered how she had gone 8 years without running into her long-lost twin sister.

"What do you go say we go talk to the Council and see if they have anything to say to us?" Echo said with a smile.

"That sounds great to me," Ash said with a chuckle. She still didn't believe that they could be related. Why couldn't the Council have just told them? There are plenty of people in the Order that are related to each other. That's why they were going to ask the Council.

Ash didn't say anything to Echo on their way to the Council chamber. Thoughts were to busy running through her head. She could really put her questions into sentences. When they reached the chamber, they had to wait about 30 minutes, but finally the Council could see them.

When they walked into the room, Ash became more relaxed. There was so much Force-power in that room. It consisted of the most powerful Jedi in the Order. One day, she hoped to be apart of the Council. But that was just a dream.

As she and Echo walked to the center of the room, Ash felt everyone eye in the room stare at them. It was very uncomfortable.

Mace Windu spoke up first. Nobody else knew this, but he kind of scared Ash.

"What can we help you with?" Mace Windu said with his hands folded in hi lap like he usually sat.

Ash and Echo both pointed at each other.

"Explain this," they said in unison. Ash looked at Echo. How in the world could they keep saying the same thing like this?

Master Windu looked at Yoda, and then looked back to Ash and Echo. Yoda spoke up.

"Twin sisters, you are. Failed we have of keeping this a secret from you."

"Obviously," Ash said under her breath. Mace looked at her.

"Sorry master," Ash said back.

"Control yourself, you must," Yoda said.

"Yes master," Ash said.. She had gotten in trouble by the Council many times, but every time she got in trouble, it was like getting hit it the face with a Hutt. Echo was looking at her like she had did something wrong too.

"It's unfortunate that you learned of each others existence. But you must remember not to get attached to each other. That path of attachment can lead to the Dark Side.. If you 2 cannot master that, then I'm afraid we may have to split you up. That would be a pity, because you both are very strong in the Force."

"Thank you, masters," they both said, bowed, and left the Council Chamber.


End file.
